Episode 146 - Dognition and Reiki

Dognition

Just like people, dogs are individuals and they have different ways of solving problems.

- Dr Brian Hare

Dognition is a new project to investigate dog cognition - the way dogs think. In the past dogs who have tended to think for themselves rather than be obedient have been deemed less intelligent, but Dognition is all about valuing the type of intelligence your dog possesses. The Dognition team, led by Dr. Brian Hare have come up with several categories of canine intelligence, and you can find out more at the Dognition website. The other exciting thing about the project is that is citizen science in that every dog owner around the world is able to join in. For a fee of $60 you will have access to instruction videos on simple tests to perform on your dog - a sample is available to view at the website. When you feedback to the team on your dog's responses, the team will give you an analysis of your dog's intelligence and problem solving style.

In this interview with Dr. Brian Hare, you can hear how he hopes that all the data collected will provide invaluable insights into the ways dogs think. Brian and his wife, Vanessa Woods, have also written a book The Genius of Dogs, which celebrates canine intelligence - you can find more information and reviews of the book on Amazon. So listen to this interview and discover how your dog is a genius!

Reiki

The concept behind Reiki is that you take this energy that's freely available around in the atmosphere and a Reiki practitioner will transfer that energy into in this case the dog.

- Rob Fellows

Many people find that Reiki therapy help them cope with life and various conditions, and it can also help dogs. Rob Fellows is a Reiki Master Teacher who offers Reiki to both humans and dogs - as well as cats horses, Guinea pigs rabbits, and he's even treated a python. In this interview you can hear Rob explain what Reiki is, how it works, and how he can help others to channel the energy around them. You can listen to various anecdotes from his therapeutic work with many dogs with a variety of issues too.

As you can hear from the occasional heavy breathing, Rob's lovely Spaniel Monty was present for the interview, and Rob talks about how Reiki has helped Monty over the years. To find out more about Rob you can visit his Reiki 4 Dogs website, or for more information about Rob and Reiki in general visit his Reiki Distant Healing site. Rob can send Reiki healing to your dog wherever you live around the world - and if you're interested in becoming a Reiki healer, he's developed a home study course which will guide you through the process.

News

In the DogCast Radio News hear how even mild sunny weather can prove fatal for dogs left in vehicles, how cold weather cost one poor pup his paws - and how he's adapted to life with four prosthetic limbs. Also concerns from UK animal charities that the way stray dogs are processed has become a postcode lottery, a vending machine for dogs and the latest study on bacteria on people who live with dogs that just might be too much information. Listen to all the dog news you could want with Kate and Nick.

In the UK Marc Abraham - Marc the TV vet - has orgainsed a petition to Ban the sale of young puppies and kittens without their mothers being present. This is a continuation of Marc's Where's Mum campaign and is a response to cruel puppy farmers, who separate puppies from their mothers far too early, and then transport them vast distances around the country to be sold via pet shops, newspaper ads, websites and private dealers. Let us know what you think of this idea.

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